She Will Be Loved
by Forever. Bethany
Summary: "I think you should be alone, to think about what your doing, to isolate yourself and find yourself without any distractions from me or from the others." He was the only one who could see her, before she could see herself. Surrounded with fears of trusting someone, she pushes him away maybe a little too far. Now, he stands a few feet away from her not sparing a glance. One-Shot


**Title: She Will Be Loved**

**Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any characters, names, places, anything from Kickin' It. This story is copyright to the owner and may not be used without permission. I have not affiliated with any of the Kickin' It cast or Jim O'Doherty. Possible quotes that appears on stories, chapters or one-shots belongs rightfully to the movies, books, and people who have spoken of them. All publicly recognized characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: **Happy January! Hello my lovelies! Hope you've all enjoyed spending time with your family over the holidays, it was a nice relaxation from all the stress and anxieties caused by our education. My stress has honestly built up, especially going on without writing for a long time and without reading a good novel. Anyway, too all those who are having finals as I am, wishing all a good luck and remember we are advocates of our education. If you want to do better, you have to sacrifice your time and make the effort. Don't we all just want a little magic in our lives. Anyway, our classes for semester one had ended and I'm super glad. I'm excited for the next semester because it's like a new beginning. Anyway, this one shot has been inspired by some personal experiences, such as myself almost drifting into an area of complete darkness if it weren't for my friends and I wouldn't be more social and outgoing than I used to be.

I'll stop ranting and let you read. Yes it will be a romantic pairing of Jack Brewer and Kimberly Crawford, and Kim would most likely be more OC. Because usually my oneshots and stories is my way of creating awareness in today's social problems and all that stuff. So if you're reading this and dislike Kim not being exactly feisty and fiery well I'm sorry but like I said, I was inspired. Also, to those following, _Wasabi Warriors: I Fight For You _it will be TEMPORARILY DISCONTINUED.

_"I think you should be alone, to think about what your doing, to isolate yourself and find yourself without any distractions from me or from the others." He was the only one who could see her, before she could see herself. Surrounded with fears of trusting someone, she pushes him away maybe a little too far. Now, he stands a few feet away from her not sparing a glance and his ears never picking up the sound of her heart shattering. _

**Playlist:**

_- "Cut" by Plumb  
_

_- "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5_

* * *

"I'm not a stranger  
No I am yours  
With crippled anger  
And tears that still drip sore

* * *

_She left dead, yet her feet is still skidding the hallways in a slow place. Her eyes were lifeless and dull, it remained transfixed on the newly waxed floors and blinking whenever a bright flash occurred. Her flesh was pale and cold, as if she's been bathing in ice her entire life. Her breathing was heavily and the only sound she heard was her own heartbeat drumming against her chest. All the warmth and emotion she once contained had been sucked away from her, and vanished into thin cool air. She held no interest in her surroundings nor the people in it. Time ticked by pretty fast for her, having all she done in class was nodding, pretending to understand the concept because she was only half tuned in with the lesson. _

_Once work period came by, she'd stare at the blank lined paper in front of her with a pencil stoned in her hand. She knew she looked stupid just staring at her barely used notebook, but it wasn't like she cared if she didn't hear or see it. Having her hood pulled up, covering her long, golden tresses inside it. _

_She thought high would only be like this, for the next 2 years of her life. It absolutely killed her knowing that she wasn't doing her family proud. But she didn't have the conscience or emotion to feel it, the only thing that stirred inside of her was rage. Rage at seeing pity and sympathetic looks being shot at her constantly. She didn't want the pity, she didn't want to be known like that. She just didn't want to be known at all. She knew pity only gained fake friendships, and fake bonds that come and go more frequently. _

_But then she entered that one class. Ignoring the gut-wrenching feeling in her stomach and sliding in her seat. _

_"Alright class, settle down!" Mrs. Pierce had demanded, her eyes were cold and commanding. She pulled the door close and the class calmed down quickly, all spinning in their seats with intrigued expressions. Mrs. Pierce never closed the door unless it was something important. "Thank you. Now for this class I'll be assigning your third major project-" there were collective groans, and some shrunk back into seats, "before you guys whine this is a partner project. Meaning you don't have to do every single thing except to socialize." _

_Kim's eyebrows rose and her fingers began picking off lint. "Now you won't be choosing your partners, I will."_

_The groans were back and Mrs. Pierce simply rolled her eyes, "Fine you'll be choosing your partners," and before the students could celebrate she hurriedly added, "from a hat."_

_"Now the assignment has to be presented in front of the class, it won't be due until the end of the semester. Now the assignment itself, you will be finding out more about your partner, his or her interests, beliefs, family life, etc...basically anything that you've found out about them. Easy enough? It's open to suggestions, there won't be limitations. Also the presentation must be 5 minutes or longer, you may chose a multimedia, a poster, anything you can think of so use your creativity well." She spared a glance around the room, surprised to find most of their eyes were actually on the teacher rather than each other. Some had straightened up their posture, intrigued like her by the project. _

_"Now when I come by your desk, draw a name and announce it to the class. Then the partner chosen must present themselves to their partner by standing up, hope all of you can participate in this simple task." There was mockery in her voice and Kim swore she saw Mrs. Pierce glance at her. It wasn't at all hard to stand in front of everybody now wasn't it? Not for her, she spent most of her time in high school blending in with the crowd and keeping herself on the down-low. _

_She wasn't at all thrilled by the project. She didn't want a complete stranger to know about her, to judge her and make her look like an idiot in front of the class by his or her presentation. She trained her eyes on a girl a few desks away from her, dressed in a slightly revealing cheerleading uniform. Nor did she want to spend most of her semester hanging out with someone who didn't appreciate her presence. She closed her eyes and took a large inhale of air. _

_"Kim Crawford." A velvet voice had read out. Her thoughts ran free from her hold and she snapped her eyes up to whoever had unfortunately picked her name. She darted her eyes over to where Mrs. Pierce was standing and right behind her was a guy, he wasn't just a guy, he was the school's heart throb. He was rather tall, his chestnut colored hair falling over his brown eyes. Not to mention he was huge, his shoulders broad and his legs lean and sturdy. His shirt practically clung to the muscles bulging from his arm, and his chest looked firm. His sun-kissed skin complexion glowed, his jaw was defined, his cheekbones narrow like his nose but underneath it had created shadows only making his facial features more surreal. Lastingly, her eyes dropped to his nude-looking lips, plush and soft. _

_She picked her gaze up back to his eyes, her breath stilling as she spotted a few flecks of a lighter brown in them. _

_"Kim Crawford?" Mrs. Pierce had repeated, her eyes already glaring down at her. Normally Mrs. Pierce would be kind and considerate about her but in this case, she wasn't joking about the project. She took one look at the slip of paper wedge between the guy's fingertips with her name written on it and sighed. Using her desk as a leverage to push herself up, she revealed herself to the class while casting her eyes down to the ground. _

_She could already feel the tension in the atmosphere, the jabs on her back from envious glares of the girls infatuated with her partner. Even though she tried, her ears still strained to hear the snickers of the guys making mockeries about her. _

_"Thank you. Kim you're paired with Jack Brewer," as she sat back down she heard Mrs. Pierce say under her breath, "Now this is something that doesn't happen everyday." Peeking from the corner of her eye, still hidden under her hood. She saw Jack's eyes still trained on her, his eyes examining her with an unreadable expression before his friend managed to capture his attention. She kept her eyes on him, cringing when his mouth opened and he spoke rapidly, his eyes flashing over to her. _

_Just great. _

* * *

"A fragile frame aged  
With misery  
And when our eyes meet  
I know you see

* * *

"You're avoiding me." His velvet voice rang out, it was soft and it surprised her when she heard a the hurt in his tone. She stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around and her breathing stilled. She clutched her books tighter against her chest and hoped that she had hit her head somewhere and everything is happening in her mind. She bit down on her lower lip as she heard the gravel crushing under the weight of his feet.

"And how would you know that?" She accused him weakly. The parking lot of the school was deserted, and she could hear the wind howling against her ear. She glanced around and hoped for any sign of one of his friends to distract him so she could get away. But there was no one in sight, it was just her and him.

"For one thing, you can't even face me." He replied easily. She faked a laugh and panic had began to rise as she failed to come up with a comeback like he would expect and point out. So when she didn't respond he sighed, and she could imagine him shoving his hands in his pockets. "Did I do something wrong?" And guilt caved into her, she closed her eyes and released a wavering breath.

"No." Her voice barely audible.

"Then what did I do Kim?" She hated him. She hated him for having control of everything she used to have control over.

* * *

"I do not want to be afraid  
I do not want to die inside just to breathe in  
I'm tired of feeling so numb  
Relief exists I find it when  
I am cut

* * *

_"Let's just get over with this," Kim hurriedly said as she plopped her bag down on her bed and sank down with it, "Favorite color?" He stared at her like she'd gone insane. She glared at him, silently telling him to remove his gaze from her before she could do any harm. He narrowed an eyebrow before pulling up a seat with an amused smile playing at his lips, "What?" _

_"So, out of all the questions you could have asked, you ask what's my favorite color?" He replied, fighting to contain a chuckle. She propped herself up on her elbows and glowered down at him, it was usual for her to look at someone with revulsion or hatred but with him, it felt like she was forcing them on so he wouldn't realize. "But since you've asked so nicely, I'll say gray." _

_"You know, most people would say blue, aka, guys your age." She replied almost bitterly, she grudgingly searched her nightstand drawer for a piece of paper and a ball point pen and scribbled down quickly his response and her question. Now that she looked at it she realized how pathetic her question really was. _

_"How about you?" She looked up, her fingers pausing over the paper and she looked at him questioningly. _

_"Color?" _

_"Violet." She said and busied herself to asking him another question while scribbling it down, "When did you start playing football? And what interested you in playing it?" There was a momentary minute of silence causing her to look up, her eyebrows pulling together impatiently. Her eyes stopped on his football varsity jacket and bit back a scoff. _

_"I was five when I was introduced into football. I was six when I began playing football with my father, my relatives said I had the potential go further into the sport so I took their word for it. I liked it, but I fell in love with it as I began growing up. Growing up came with stress and pressures of your future, and suddenly it didn't seem like playing football was for fun, it was a release, a break from reality." He was monotone, his fingers played around with the pillow on his lap and his eyes were distant. Kim stared at him, bewildered, not by what he said but he had trusted her with this information which so personal. _

_She stared at him, remembering all the times he had walked down the halls with a light smile and his eyes beaming, his posture was relaxed. She never had a thought about the struggles and pressures he might have gotten from being the quarter back of the football team. Her stomach twisted and she was revolted by how prejudiced she was. With her hand trembling, she scribbled down his answer. _

_"Why do you like wearing your hood up?" He asked gently, her grip on the pencil had tightened and her response came out raspy and tortured. _

_"Ask another question." She basically demanded. His eyes darkened as if he was offended. The chair he sat on had creaked when he stood up, lazily throwing the pillow back into place. Her breathing was quick and short, seeing him stroll over in front of her, his posture suddenly tense and rigid. _

_"No. I want to know this answer," his voice dropped, "I want to understand." She stood up abruptly, slamming her pad of lined paper hard against his solid chest and pushing him away in the process. He had stepped back to regain his footing. She had crossed her arms and stared unyielding down at floor.  
_

_"You can't and you won't understand." She snapped. It was such a simple question that anyone could answer. So why did she react so violently against it? _

_"You don't actually think I'll judge, do you?" She turned around, finding that he was slowly sliding the pad of lined paper on her nightstand before slipping his hand inside his pocket and flickering his brown eyes to her. She ignored the burst of butterflies in her stomach and reminded herself of his reputation in school. He wasn't someone to be trusted, no matter how gorgeous he was. _

_"Well you're not exactly the type of person who'd keep someone's secrets" she pointed out, the bitter evident in her voice. He looked down, his hair gently falling to his eyes as he nodded with a scoff of disbelief. She looked at him, tugging on her lower lip nervously, she had offended him and he hadn't taken well to it. She everything she was currently doing wrong on the entire, and pointless project. She has the heart throb of the school in her room for crying out loud, most girls would be pleased, in fact ecstatic. But she wasn't most girls. _

_"What is the color of your hair?" He suddenly blurted out. Her eyes widened, taken back by how irrelevant his question was. _

_"P-pardon?" She stuttered nervously. Suddenly all the confidence she possessed only seconds ago had disappeared. He sighed, lifting his arms and crossing them over one another, lazily over his chest. It was then she noticed he had moved to lean against the wall, flicking his hair out of his eyes. He cocked an eyebrow, slightly amused at her reaction. _

_"What's the color of your hair?" He repeated again, slightly more slower. She bit the inside of her cheek to contain herself from throwing her frustrations at him. He seemed to be mocking her subtly. _

_"Why do you care?" She muttered. _

_"Why are you so defensive?" He replied easily. She growled only making his smirk grow bigger. He pushed himself off the wall, his arms falling to the side and he strode over to her front. His towering form made her nervous, it was obvious he could over-power her. _

_"I'm not defensive!" She hissed through her clenched teeth, "You're just..annoying." He chuckled at her fuming figure. Slowly he raised his arms, she was too confused to ask what he was doing but it had her heart racing. She pursed her lips from breathing heavily against him. She froze when his fingers clamped over the edges of her hood and slowly began pulling it back from hiding her face. She began to take a step back, his reflex kicked in and his hand on her waist and kept her doing anything. _

_Remembering she still her hands inside her pockets, she began pulling them out. He immediately caught on, pulling her flush against him and crushing her hands between their bodies. She let out a winded breath, forgetting that he was still pulling her hood back, she look up to glare at him only causing her hood to fall off quickly. She froze, her eyes widening in realization. Her eyes searched his face, his eyes were hard on her face but they were unreadable. _

_Now he could see what she'd been hiding. Her golden waves were cascading down her back, a few strands framing her heart-shaped face beautifully. Her light-olive skin complexion slowly flushing in embarrassment. Her cheekbones were rosy and complimented her brown eyes with flecks of gold framed with thick and curled lashes. Her nose was slim and her lips was a pale color of pink, they were plush and her lower lip stuck out into a natural pout. _

_Feeling his grip loosen, she pulled out of his arms and hurriedly slipped her hood back on. Coldness seeping inside of her. "Why did you do that!" She practically hissed at him, shooting venomous glares at him. _

_"Blonde," he whispered to himself and every trace of anger disappeared from her. _

_She traced her tongue over her lips to moisten them. Staring blankly at the ground as she relinquished the feeling of him staring down at her, and the feeling of the air slipping inside and out of her strands of hair. For a moment she felt alive, and for a moment a fear coursed through her. She had only been used to one particular emotion, anger._

* * *

"N-nothing! I-I don't know!" Kim stumbled over her words, burying her head in her hands as she tried to get a grip on herself. She heard him take a step closer, feeling fear course through her veins, she took a step back from him. There was a loud sigh, "J-Just...why must it be you?" She heard his breathing still. Removing her hands from her face, she stuffed them inside her pockets in an attempt to cover her trembling hands from anyone's sight.

"Kim?" He asked slowly. She blocked his voice from her ears to prevent the guilt from caving in anymore longer.

* * *

"I may seem crazy  
Or painfully shy  
And these scars wouldn't be so hidden  
If you would just look me in the eye

* * *

_"Yes I'm a blonde," she snapped instinctively, "What does that matter to you?" He looked up, his eyes darkening once again. And suddenly a cruel smile that made her insides squirm anxiously had fallen on his face, and suddenly the warm exterior had disappeared. She got what she wanted right? She now reserves the right to be as cruel to him just as he is now with her. _

_"You didn't pay attention to the last four years of your life now did you?" he questioned, almost as if he was disappointed in her. She creased her eyebrows in confusion, biting the inside of her cheek to settle the nervousness coursing through her. When she didn't respond he let out a humor-less laugh, almost like a snark. She swore he had some serious mood swings because as she stared at him now, he didn't seem to be the over-relaxed and welcoming guy that walked in her room almost 10 minutes ago. Now he had became another person, a person she seemed more relaxed with though her nervousness still ran wild with her insides. It was surprising that someone like him could turn almost deadly, or emotionless as her. _

_"You were a brunette" he stated in a monotone voice. Her breathing stopped, her eyes widening. The color drained from her face and a series of events flashed through her mind, her bottom lip trembled and suddenly she was heaving for oxygen. She stared wide-eyed at him, how did he possibly know? Never had someone broken through her walls so easily. She tried and scrambled to rebuild the wall, to mask the emotions from being seen, to find the off-switch in her brain. She struggled, for the first time she struggled in finding the switch. So she settled for the only solution that time had given her. She turned her back on him, pulling her hood over her face a bit more than she usually intended and with her hoarse voice, she had muttered. _

_"Get out."_

* * *

She was absolutely terrified by him. By the emotions that she had shut out years ago, to have it all come back within just seconds. All those years, she had managed to avoid opportunities that may lead her to opening up about her past and to relinquish those forgotten emotions. But then he came, he possessed more than she asked for. Damnit, she cursed the project that brought them together. She hated herself for letting him inside the house, for generally granting him access. Because now he stood almost a foot away just waiting for a response from her, a response in which she didn't know.

* * *

"I feel alone here and cold here  
Though I don't want to die  
But the only anesthetic that makes me feel anything kills inside

* * *

_The crackling of the fireplace hummed inside the house, the flickers reflected off her distant eyes as she remained standing and staring at the curling and newly blackened, crisp edges of the photographs. In her hands was another photo of her as a toddler with brown, pin straight hair with a few blonde streaks that had naturally formed. Her eyes were unusually bright, her facial features were still rosiness yet contained some baby fat which she lost over the years. There was a gigantic smile on her face because of the arm that was wrapped around her, an arm that hadn't wrapped around her in ages. _

_Her fingers enclosed over the photo and crumpled it up and then tossed it gently into the fire. It was the last of all photos that had her smiling. They all sat, burning into ashes in the fireplace. _

_"What are you doing?" A honey-sickle voice purified the air. Kim didn't turn to the source of the sound, knowing that at this particular time that her mother would be home. _

_"Watching the fire" she replied in a tone that showed that she didn't care about understanding the question. Her mother had sighed heavily, bags and shoes thudded against the polished wooden flooring. She pulled her bottom lip inside and began to tug, "What are you doing home, and I mean earlier than the usual" she added. _

_"Traffic was light. And I meant, what are you doing burning all of those photos?" Her mother quietly reprimanded her. Kim knew she should have asked for permission, especially since the photos belonged more to her parents rather than to her. But that thought had slipped from her mind because Jack had invaded her mind. This time Kim turned to face her mother, finding that the dim-lighting in the room had brought out the dark bags under her eyes. _

_"They're photos, I'm sure the same photos were saved on the desktop upstairs. It's no big deal." Kim shrugged the conversation away from her, "You should get some sleep, looks like you need it." She tried to brush past her mother but she had her shoulder in her grip the instant she took a step forward, "What?"._

_"What's wrong? You've never thought about burning a single one of those photos, nothing's ever provoked you to think about him in years," her mother had voiced her thoughts, "What happened?" _

_"It's no big deal," she practically insisted, "It's just been a hard day." Her mother's hand slipped from her shoulder and Kim made a move to slip past her. _

_"You know, one day, your father and I won't be here to comfort you," her mother quietly said, "You're an open book but you close everyone out. So why begin closing us out too honey?" Kim closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as she stopped the guilt from forming. Her mother had pushed a heavy topic on her shoulders, a topic in which she was so used in running away from. Unable to form a response, she hurried upstairs. _

* * *

"I do not want to be afraid  
I do not want to die inside just to breathe in  
I'm tired of feeling so numb  
Relief exists I find it when  
I am cut  
Pain  
I am not alone  
I am not alone

* * *

"Here let me help" his velvet voice stated, her arm stopped reaching for the object that was stacke_d in the highest shelving unit. She turned slightly to look at him with curiosity. She knew he could feel her eyes on him, but even so, he didn't look at her and instead stretched for what she needed. He straightened back up and fixed his clothing with the book in his other hand. _

_"What are you doing here?" she asked as gently as she can, even though she still held a grudge for what happened the last time she was around him. She couldn't help but feel exposed to him. Thinking that, she raised her arms and hugged herself. Watching him carefully as he shoved his free hand in his pocket. He was sporting a plain and white, v-neck shirt. _

_"There wasn't a sign saying I couldn't come here, if that's what your saying." He raised an amused eyebrow and her cheeks turned crimson. Realizing what she was reacting to, she bowed her head down and focused on the torn edges of her converse. _

_"I meant, you don't seem the type to visit the library," she corrected her earlier sentence, "And are you implying that I'm negative about everything, or towards everything?" She caught the playful tone in her voice and mentally cursed herself. _

_"My mom wanted me to return her books that's due today," he explained softly, she peeked through her eyelashes and saw that he had turned his head for his eyes to scan the room since she wasn't looking at him, "You never seem too pleased whenever I'm around you and you seem eager to get away from me." She had let her eyes stay on him too long, he had looked back down and caught her eyes. She held her breath and quickly looked away. _

_"You don't know what I think." She protested weakly. "And can I have my book please?" He gave it to her without hesitation, but she hated the way a smirk graced his features. She clutched the book to her chest._

_"_Romeo and Juliet _I never figured you'd be the type to choose, a sappy and tragic love story to read," he mused. _

_"You're a boy, of course you'd think that." She snapped quietly, "And I trust my judgement that you'd never think to read a book like this-"_

_"But soft. What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun" he had blurted out suddenly, keeping the softness in his tone. Her breath was taken away, like someone had punched her in the gut and left her winded and gasping for breath. She stared at him wide-eyed, "I am sorry about what happened the other time. I didn't know what I was thinking, bringing something that obviously pained you-"_

_"Why did you quote that?" Kim didn't help but ask. He flickered his gaze back on her, his gaze as intense as before. "More specifically, why you chose that quote?"_

_"You said I wouldn't even think about reading it. If I didn't read it, then how would I know that quote?" _

_"But that quote! I-I w-what...it's so cheesy." Kim said weakly. Amusement played on his lips, and once again her cheeks burned. _

_"He's just doing what most guys do these days, telling a girl he loves that she's beautiful," his eyes became distant, "As cheesy as it is, I'd say a girl she's beautiful when I find the right one." Kim smiled at his thoughts, then she caught herself and replaced it quickly with a frown. _

_"Lucky girl." She murmured to herself, it was low enough that Jack couldn't hear what she was saying._

_"There's more to you, you know?" The change of topic caught her off guard. She picked at the ripped seams of the binding while she answered. _

_"Why do you say that?" She asked, and she honestly wanted to know what made him think that. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyebrows at him. His eyes searched hers momentarily and she bit down on her lower lip to prevent herself from blushing under his gaze. Yes, she really did think that he was intimidatingly handsome. It wasn't the build or how lean and fit he was. His facial features struck her breathless. _

_His eyes sparkled and a lopsided smile followed after, "You aren't like most girls. That's a very cliche thing to say but it's true," the smile had disappeared and a stern look replaced his features, "Even before everything changed, you're still the same, you haven't changed except for the clothing and the hair." Kim swallowed to moisten her suddenly dry gullet. _

_"What are you trying to say, Jack?" She asked with an aggravated sigh, she shifted her weight to her other leg and looked up at him. _

_"You're intimidating for one thing," at this she narrowed her eyes and an amused smile played at the corner of his lips, "But you're still feisty. You may think that nobody knows you, but I know this whole 'I don't care' demeanor is just an act to push people away from discovering who you were." Kim remained silent, adjusting her eyes to stare blankly at the books in the side of her. _

_"You can't hide it from me, Kim," Jack stated firmly, his eyes hard on her, "Especially not in this project." _

_"And why not?" Kim pushed. _

_"Because I've seen you sharing laughs with your family, teasing and mocking your friends, and I've seen you comfort others," he listed, this time their eyes were locked, almost glaring at each other, "I've heard and seen your emotions. Heck I even seen you with your hood down for the first time since the last 4 years. You have nothing to hide from me." _

_"Well that's a little unfair, don't you think?" she growled unintentionally at him, "You know a whole bunch about me. And yet here I am, still wondering about what could be going through your head. It'd be nice if you stop bringing up my past and start talking about yours if you care so much about this dang stupid and pointless project."_

_"You could have just asked." He pointed out angrily._

_"Would you two keep your mouths shut?" the librarian had appeared from off the corner, her frosty glare on the two of them, "Or take this outside." _

_"You know what? I don't think I want to read this book after all." Kim stated with venom laced in her voice. Slamming the book down, she ignored the way the librarian stifled back a gasp and began her way towards the door. _

_She pushed through the double doors with her teeth clenched together. Her fingers pulled her jacket over her as the cold breeze hit her. _

_"You need to stop running away from this Kim!" Jack had called out venomously. Kim gave a humorless laugh while turning to face him, he was a few steps away from him. _

_"And you need to stop poking your head in other people's business!" Kim retorted. _

_"This is my business, Kim," his grip was around one of her wrist and she was pulled back harshly. She spun around to face him, surprised to find that the distance between them wasn't even a foot large. He was glaring down at her, "Or did you forget that I lost my best friend who eventually became a brother to me?" She kept her eyes on him, cold. To show she wasn't backing down. _

_"A part of me had died that day, like yours did," Jack was breathing hard now, all the warmth had disappeared from his eyes, "You know another thing that I lost?" Her lower lip began to tremble as her mind began relinquishing the day, "I lost you too." With that, her knees had buckled and all the support she had on herself had vanished. She fell against him, her fingers grasping his shirt, her head buried against his firm chest. His arms were around her, pulling her flush against him. _

_For the first time in 4 years, she cried, all the sadness, grieving, guilt had poured out on him. Soaking his shirt wet, and making bystanders stare at her incredulously. Through all those 4 years, she had pretended he hadn't existed, to numb the pain, to forget the memories she shared with the both of them. _

* * *

Exactly 2 hours ago.

"Kim Crawford." Mrs. Pierce had announced while checking something off her clipboard. Kim inhaled sharply and rose from her desk, making her way to the front without sparing glances to her fellow students. Her fingers were playing with each other to fight off the nervousness that grew in the pit of her stomach as she walked to the front. Biting her lip she turned and face the front, seeing incredulous looks and smirks from her fellow student body. She resisted the urge to slap the smirks from their faces and bit the inside of her cheek.

"For my project, I decided not to choose a multimedia, or a poster or anything with such sort," Kim saw the disappointed glint in Mrs. Pierce eyes, "You don't need anything fancy or decorative to explain who Jack Brewer is. He's just a simple guy, with simple traits, but somehow his godly looks got people wandering the other way round." She looked at Jack, his eyes were trained on her with a slight smile.

"He's amazing at football because he loves it, and when you really love something, you don't like anything get in the way of that," Kim explained, "He's determined, he gets what he wants done. He's ambitious, and he's an inspiration to all the young kids who might possibly know him. He's not prejudiced either, when we talked, he never treated me like I'm an alien, he just talked to me like a normal human being. I guess him being normal somehow makes him special, the way he thinks and how he treats people gets him the guys and the girls."

"He never gives up and he's a bit stubborn with that because he cares so much about the people around him," she swallowed, "He doesn't want to let them go. He never takes things for granted. He has that inspiration in him that keeps him going, at least that was what he said to me. I don't know what his inspiration is, but he shares it with people around him. You may think for some jock that he's rather logical, or considerate and thoughtful because of the things I'm saying."

"The truth is, he wasn't ever a jock. He wasn't ever dumb. He wasn't a bully. He's there when you need him, when you need comfort, answers, suggestions, or just when you need someone in general. He's just there. Even through the hardest times in life, he knew who he was, he knew what he wanted to do and he knew what he needed. And he's the one you can be yourself around. Just explaining him makes him special, which is why I didn't need a multimedia, I know, you guys know and even he knows that he's special." Kim finished her presentation, she looked at the paper in her hands and smirked. She laid out the paper in the table in front of her, and walked away. She could feel their eyes instantly turning to the paper and only hearing murmurs.

She slid back down in her chair and glanced at Mrs. Pierce, her eyes were still on the front of the room before flickering to Kim. Mrs. Pierce shook her head in disbelief but a warm smile had wormed its way to her face.

"Jack Brewer." Then she focused her eyes on Jack, feeling her hands turning clammy as he walked to the front. Standing where she stood and taking the paper in his hands, and an unreadable expression formed on his face. He turned the paper in his hands, showing to the class how blank it was.

"For my project, I actually needed something to show how special Kim Crawford can be even if she doesn't know it, she is," his velvet voice hummed to her, and she leaned forward intrigued by what he meant. His fingers pressed something on the project and immediately it illuminated the white screen in front of it, "It may not look like it, but Kim certainly cares about the people around her. She cares so much that it even hurts her," she breathing stilled when a picture popped up on the screen, it was black and white, it was her during her walk with Jack. Her eyes were focused on the homeless man in the corner, people could see the softness in her eyes and the glint of sympathy. The picture had changed, it was when she had crossed the distance between her and the homeless man, a 20 dollar bill in her hand and with a smile on her face, she had given it to him.

"Her favorite color is violet," a picture of them inside a shop, and she was staring with awe down at scarf with various shades of violet, "She enjoys reading too. But these are all facts that doesn't essentially show who she is."

"She's strong, she managed to live each day without having the constant remarks about her get to her. She's an inspiration, not me. She continued living even when her loss took away what was special about her, having the freedom to share her thoughts, to smile constantly, to laugh with people around her but most importantly, to trust," then there was a picture, her back was turned to everyone, her hood was up and she was the facing the wind, "Sometimes I wonder what's going through her head and how she manages to do it."

"And sometimes I wonder how she could think so low of herself, when she has the potential that most people don't have. To do something amazing. For now, she's feisty, sarcastic, yet kind and sweet but most of all, she's vulnerable," Jack had hesitated before switching to the next picture. Kim shook her head and lowered her eyes, her face was displayed on the screen, "She never thought of herself as decent. What she doesn't know is, that she's beautiful. That's all I know so far, there's more to her than this, I still have a long way to go before I can answer my own question."

_She could see. She hadn't been able to flick the off-switch. She hadn't been able to know. Jack was bringing back what she hadn't felt in a long time. Her emotions. _

* * *

"I'm not a stranger  
No I am yours  
With crippled anger  
And tears that still drip sore

* * *

_Four Years Ago..._

_Evening had dropped, calming all things that were wild with passion. The sun was lowering down, underneath the horizon of the ocean. The ocean was glowing and glimmering, and her ears could distantly hears the soft crashes of the ocean waves against the shore. A smile formed on her face, for a busy town, it can sure be peaceful and beautiful. The sky was illuminated with various shades of violet, pink, and yellow and hovering above the quiet and secluded town were darkening clouds. Taking one last sip of her hot chocolate, she slid off the mattress of her bed and made her way out of her room. She crossed to the other side, and tapped lightly on the door. _

_"Ian?" She called out softly, "What are you doing? You've been cooped up in that bedroom for over 4 hours." There was light sounds of his footsteps making its way to the door. The doorknob jiggled then turned and the door creaked open, she peeked through with an amused smile. Ian's sandy brown hair was tousled, his brown eyes were sparkling with mischief and his clothes were crumpled as if he slept overnight with it, "Well hello to you too." She said sarcastically as he turned his back on her after opening the door. _

_"What? No hug?" She pouted, he turned, his eyes mockingly glaring at her before a lopsided smile crossed his features. He walked back towards her and engulfed her in a warm embrace. She smiled against his chest and hugged him back as tightly as she could before he could release her. _

_"What are you doing here, Kimmy?" He asked knowing how much she hated being called that. She placed down her mug on his nightstand and joined him on his bed, her smile only growing as she spotted papers sprawled everywhere, including on his bed and pillow. She timidly picked one up and scanned it, seeing that he was busy nor did it bother him. _

_"Her Six Smiles? Her Baby-Blue Eyes?" she listed through his music sheets, "What? Are you trying to describe a girl you like?" She teased him. Ian looked at her before snatching the music sheets from her grasp. Kim rolled her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, "What's up? Why does your room look like a hurricane had hit?" _

_"Haha," he faked a laugh, "For your information, this isn't just because I'm disorganized. The band's playing at this party, as in the biggest party in high school." _

_"And you know this how? You're only a freshman with Jack," she reminded him with a smirk, "The only thing that's surprising is they're letting freshman's play at their party." Ian pinched her and she squeaked before rubbing her forearm tenderly, "What? Am I missing something here?"_

_"All the sophomores, juniors and seniors are busy enough drinking, grinding and doing those stuff teenagers are obsessed with, the freshman's are the newbies meaning they're the introverts, might as well let them do something." Ian explained to her, "Besides it's our chance to create a reputation that we can live by, something that gets cheerleaders and jocks that air of superiority."_

_"You mean the air of the snobs? Ian, why do you even care?" Kim asked exasperated by his attempts, "It doesn't matter. You're going to leave high school, and none of this will matter. Isn't that what mom and dad told us to live by?" Ian looked at her before bursting into a fit of laughter, he pretended to wipe the tears from his eyes before standing up and ruffling her head of matching sandy brown hair, the only difference was, her hair had contained natural blonde streaks. _

_"Kim, high school is where everyone says the best four years of their lives will take place," Ian told her as he sorted through his music sheets, "I would rather enjoy it rather than regret thinking I could have done something that told the kings and queens of the school, prove a point that music, drama and a whole bunch of those under-estimated programs does have what it takes to breath the same air the jocks and cheerleaders do."_

_"So there's no chance of me convincing you of how unrealistic you are with this whole fiasco?" Kim asked in a monotone voice. Ian grinned at her and shook his head. Kim sighed but let a smile form, "Well then I guess I'll just watch from backstage to see your plan backfire and blow up in your face." Ian glared at her. _

_"Not funny." Ian stated. Kim giggled and got out of his bed, feeling the music sheets follow after her. _

_"Fine. I'll be the supportive little sister and tell you, I can help you out backstage with all those technology things and all that boring stuff," Kim offered, smiling when he did at her, "I'm guessing you want me to do that?"_

_"You know that I know I want you to do that," Ian said teasingly, "But first, I need an opening song. Any suggestions, as you can see, there's plenty on the floor, on the bed and even inside the pizza box." Kim scrunched her nose at the last one and daringly let her eyes trail to the pizza box that laid on the chair of his desk and face-palmed seeing that he wasn't joking. _

_"Seriously, Ian? That's disgusting. And besides, I've always loved that song you sang to me in the hospital when I broke my leg," Kim told him with expectant eyes, "You know, 'She Will Be Loved', it's always been my favorite. And I'm sure it would be a crowd pleasure." _

_"You know what, I think that could work, thanks Kimmy." Ian reached out to ruffle her head once again and Kim bit at him. _

_"Never call me Kimmy!" _

_"Ugh. It freaking smells like a dump in here!" Kim complained as soon as she entered the __threshold, and had been immediately blinded by the disco lights, "Geez, where the world do they get those disco lights too?" _

_"Kim, do I have to hear another complaint from you?" Ian asked sternly, grunting as he lifted the amplifier up to the stage, "Or do I have to bring Jack in to accompany you?" Kim blushed crimson, he knew about her quick fascination with Jack and his stupid godly appearance. It was stupid, quick, nothing special crush on him when he had gotten back from his vacation. And during that 2 month separation, she forgot how he looked like and it had shocked her of how much he had physically changed. _

_"Hey! That meant nothing, Ian! You can't hold that against me!" Kim cried out in embarrassment. _

_"If it's nothing, then you wouldn't mind if I told him?" Ian wiggled his eyebrows teasingly at her. Kim stomped her feet and began to storm towards him when a familiar sensation of his warmth encircled her waist and drew her back to his firm chest. Her breath came out as a whoosh at the impact, and glared at Ian as his grin widened. _

_"Told who what?" His velvet voice asked behind her. She squirmed under his grip, trying to stop Ian from getting anymore ideas but it was futile. He had grown much stronger and his hold on her was too strong. She became limp under his grip and instead settled on pouting. His arms were still around her, but his eyes were trained on Ian._

_"Nothing. Ian's just being a pain." Kim told him in a low and threatening voice. _

_"Should I be concerned?" Jack had asked, there was a genuine tone that told Kim that he actually was concerned. Kim had shifted in his hold to look at him, his hair had grown, reaching his eyes. His sun-kissed skin glowed under the dim lighting, his nose was slim and his cheekbones were narrow. His jaw was defined, and his lip remained the same. Smooth and plush. At last, she settled for his eyes, it was dark and brown, framed by dark eyelashes. _

_"No. But let your best friend annoy me one more time today, then you should expect him showing up at school with a black eye." Kim grumbled. Jack flashed her his brilliant lopsided smile and she bit her lip, knowing that maybe the crush hadn't subsided. _

_"Hey! That's my sister, bro, I don't want to see your arm around her!" Ian warned him lightly. Jack immediately released his hold on her while glaring at Ian, "Don't make googly eyes at each other either!" Kim groaned. _

_"That black eye might be coming sooner than I should expect, right?" Jack chuckled but raised an eyebrow down at her. Kim had crossed her arms and nodded, "Come on." And she let him lead her backstage. She couldn't help but think if there's a possibility that they might become romantically linked, then she blushed. Now she was thinking like a crazed girl, crushing on her brother's best friend, how cliche was that?  
_

_"You know," Jack suddenly spoke up and Kim turned to look at him, "I wonder how boring life would be if I hadn't met your brother or you." Kim smiled a genuine smile at him, "And here. It's just a burned CD copy of 'She Will Be Loved'. It's from Ian but he forgot it at my house." Kim stared at it before smiling up at him. _

* * *

"But I do not want to be afraid  
I do not want to die inside just to breathe in

* * *

_It was amazing yet terrifying how one night can change her forever. One minute she was taxi with her brother, on their way home. She remembered Ian remarking how once he passes his driving test, he'd be driving her everywhere, in any part of the world. And she had commented how it was logically impossible, for him to pass the driving test at least. They were sharing laughs, and she could even see that the driver was smiling along with their jokes. _

_But then, everything in her world had turned. Literally turned. There was an impact against her side, she could see her brother's head flopping from side to side. She was screaming, and crying and her brother's name tore her throat open. The glass had shattered, scraping her skin and drawing out blood. Her body was on fire, her head was spinning and she was an emotional wreck. She couldn't help but wonder about her brother's safety, being on the passenger seat. _

_"IAN!" She cried out once more, the turbulence had ceased. Her hair was splattered with blood, her lips was split open and dry. Her breathing was shallow and the edge of her vision was slowing growing blurry. But she remained alert, her eyes trained on her brother. His form was still, too still, his head was resting against the seat. His hands was streaked with blood and his breathing growing shallow, "Ian, please, hang on." She pleaded. _

_There was a choked laugh, "N-no-nothing ca-can h-hu...hurt m-me, Kimmy," he inhaled sharply, "J-Just pr...promise me, y-you'll c-continue living if I-i d-don't m-make it."_

_Her vision was clouded with her tears, "No don't say that, Ian. You will live. Your ego is too big to be taken down, Ian, please." _

_"So-...sorry Kimmy," Ian tried to force a laugh, but something was blocking it, "P-promise me."_

_"I promise, Ian." Kim whispered. _

_"L-love you, Kim-..." Ian fell silent, a little too silent. Kim lurched forward, her hands on his seat and shaking her head wildly. _

_"No. No! Ian! No! Stay awake!" Kim hurried to unbuckle her seat belt, her world spinning as she tried sitting up, "Ian, please! You can't leave me!" Then her eyes landed on his hand, it was pale, still and then she fell silent. Hoping and wishing for a breath to be taken from Ian. But there was nothing, Kim slid down from the back of his seat and broke down. Her sobs shaking her body. Ian was gone. Her brother was gone. She was alive, but there was nothing but an empty void. _

* * *

"I'm tired of feeling so numb  
Relief exists I found it when  
I was cut"

* * *

_She stared blankly at Ian's grave. From head to toe she was drenched, the rain was hard on her, it was cold and it was coming down rapidly. The flowers in her hand trembled and she struggled to contain herself from breaking down. She missed him. She missed his voice, his teasing, his big ego and the way he smiled at her. She missed his hugs, his music, his singing. She dropped down to her knees as tears began clouding her vision once more and a repeat of that night's accident had flashed in her mind. She struggled to draw herself away from his grave and instead her back came in contact with someone's legs._

_"Kim," his voice rang out, it was as dead as hers and she closed her eyes, "You've been gone for nearly 7 hours." She could barely hear his voice over the increasing volume of the rain beating the ground._

_"Yeah? And?" Kim replied bitterly_

_"Your parent's searched the town for you, they're worried sick about you." Jack reasoned with her, she picked herself up into a standing position and laid the flowers down on the grave._

_"Yeah? And?" Kim repeated her last response. There was a loud sigh from him, and she turned, seeing him run his fingers through his hair. "Look I don't care. So why should you?" Kim tried to push past him but he already caught her wrist and she froze, trying to keep her anger under control. _

_"You're losing yourself Kim, I don't want to see that happen," Jack said with a genuine tone, "I get it that Ian's passing is hard on you, it's hard on me too-" Kim ripped her wrist from Jack's grip and glared frostily at him. Thunder rippled through the air, slicing the silence between them. She struggled on keeping her eyes on him as the blanket of water kept interfering. _

_"You don't get it Jack! Ian's my brother, I've grown up with me, he's most than half my memories! He's my other half!" Kim exclaimed hysterically, throwing her arms around as if it'd help to prove her point, then she irritability pushed the hair that stuck to her face from her eyes ,"I don't get why I'm getting the pity and the sympathy. Ian freaking lost his life because I convinced him to take the taxi rather than bother my parents, in an attempt to be responsible. And guess what? That responsibility ended up with him losing his life. Could you live with that guilt?" _

_"No one's blaming you Kim. You're the only one who's blaming yourself," Jack growled, his eyes darkening, "Yes you lost your brother. But you're losing yourself because your pinning his death over yourself. You didn't kill him. That vehicle with the drunk driver did."_

_"You still don't get it do you Jack?" Kim's voice trembled with anger. _

_"Then explain what your reason is. Right now, your logic doesn't make sense to anyone." Jack said with venom laced in his tone. Kim laughed unsteadily as she began rambling. _

_"I've spend every waking moment with Ian, laughing with Ian, smiling with Ian and joking around with Ian," Kim said steadily, "Now he's gone. Never have I been so confused on what to do with my life. Who to go to without having the urge to cry. How to stop everyone from giving me those pathetic sympathetic expressions. All my life I thought Ian would be by my side to see him get married, for him to tease whoever I might get married to. I don't get why he had to die and I had to live? And you know who else was there by my side, with Ian, doing all those things with us?"_

_She paused and stared at him incredulously, then jabbed him in the chest, "You. He was your best friend and yet you're standing there like nothing ever happened."_

_"Are you saying that I don't care, Kim?" He asked harshly as he yelled over the rain, "You think I'd be so heartless to not grieve of his death?" Droplets framed his eyelashes. _

_"You certainly look like it." Kim laughed without humor. _

_"You don't know how much it pains me to walk around without him by my side. To share my high school life with him, to do all the crazy things he would have wanted us to do with him. Like you, he had a role in my life and I'm just as confused as you are figuring out how I'm going to survive my life without him," Jack stared coldly down at her, "You know what he said to me before he got in the taxi with you?" When Kim didn't respond, he said. _

_"He said, 'I'll do whatever odds to protect her as long as you promise to keep your eye out for her too', how can I do that when all you're doing is pushing me away?" Jack asked. Kim swallowed and looked away, "You can't lose yourself, Kim." _

_She wanted to tell him that what she was going to do was to protect him, to show how much she truly cared for him, "Every time I see your face, it kills me because it reminds me of Ian. I can't even talk to you or face you without thinking about Ian. Please just stop." His breathing stopped, he stared at her with an unreadable expression. She searched his face, watching as droplets slide down his nose and his hair. She resisted the urge to take back her words because now it was out, she had crossed the border in pushing him out, she had pushed him out of her line. They didn't exist to each other. _

_His brown eyes searched hers, his pan reflecting off hers, "I think you should be alone, to think about what you're doing, to isolate yourself and find yourself without any distractions from me or from the others." She knew she had hurt him, but she couldn't keep him from being happy. She didn't want to hold him back from being happy. But she couldn't help but wonder if what she was doing was right. He had ultimately turned his back on her and begun walking away from her. His posture was tense and once he disappeared from her view, she broke down crying one again on the ground. _

_As she expected, the time when she saw him again, he didn't spare a glance at her. They didn't talk, all they did was brush past each in the hallways. She had pushed him away, because he knew her better than anyone else. It was because of that that she knew if she kept him around, he'll be the only one with the power to bring out who she was before her brother's death. She didn't want to experience hope or any kind of emotion, she was just done. _

* * *

"Beauty queen of only eighteen  
She had some trouble with herself  
He was always there to help her  
She always belonged to someone else

I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door  
I've had you so many times but somehow I want more

* * *

"You're avoiding me." His velvet voice rang out, it was soft and it surprised her when she heard the hurt in his tone. She stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around and her breathing stilled. She clutched her books tighter against her chest and hoped that she had hit her head somewhere and everything is happening in her mind. She bit down on her lower lip as she heard the gravel crushing under the weight of his feet.

"And how would you know that?" She accused him weakly. The parking lot of the school was deserted, and she could hear the wind howling against her ear. She glanced around and hoped for any sign of one of his friends to distract him so she could get away. But there was no one in sight, it was just her and him.

"For one thing, you can't even face me." He replied easily. She faked a laugh and panic had began to rise as she failed to come up with a comeback like he would expect and point out. So when she didn't respond he sighed, and she could imagine him shoving his hands in his pockets. "Did I do something wrong?" And guilt caved into her, she closed her eyes and released a wavering breath.

"No." Her voice barely audible.

"Then what did I do Kim?" She hated him. She hated him for having control of everything she used to have control over.

"N-nothing! I-I don't know!" Kim stumbled over her words, burying her head in her hands as she tried to get a grip on herself. She heard him take a step closer, feeling fear course through her veins, she took a step back from him. There was a loud sigh, "J-Just...why must it be you?" She heard his breathing still. Removing her hands from her face, she stuffed them inside her pockets in an attempt to cover her trembling hands from anyone's sight.

"Kim?" He asked slowly. She blocked his voice from her ears to prevent the guilt from caving in anymore longer.

She was absolutely terrified by him. By the emotions that she had shut out years ago, to have it all come back within just seconds. All those years, she had managed to avoid opportunities that may lead her to opening up about her past and to relinquish those forgotten emotions. But then he came, he possessed more than she asked for. Damnit, she cursed the project that brought them together. She hated herself for letting him inside the house, for generally granting him access. Because now he stood almost a foot away just waiting for a response from her, a response in which she didn't know. The last time he had confronted her, things had ended badly between them. She had pushed him away, thinking it'd be better for the both of them. Rethinking it now, maybe she just wasted 4 years of her life without him, and yet she was terrified of trusting anyone, or trusting herself to be with someone who she might lose one day.

No. She couldn't let him in her life again. She couldn't take the chance, she had to put away the feelings she had for him that had somehow resurfaced through out the last few weeks. She had to, the feelings had grown a thousand more times larger and the need to want to be around him had been growing each time he was around. She couldn't rely on him to be with her, whenever she needed him.

Besides, what are the odds of Jack returning her affections. Inhaling sharply, she spoke.

"I'm sorry, I can't." Kim decided, she hugged herself and took a step forward.

"You're scared aren't you?" He suddenly said, his voice was intense that she willed herself to turn around to face him with wide eyes. His eyes locked with hers, allowing shivers to run up and down her spine.

"Scared of what?" Kim challenged him softly, he had taken a few steps forward. Enough to let her feel the warmth radiating from his body, unknowingly, she had lingered closer to it. Wanting as much of his warmth as possibly before he could take it away. But what he said next made her freeze.

"You're scared because for the first time, you want me just as badly as I want you," Jack growled dangerously, "I know how much it terrifies you of the thought that I might run out on you."

She bowed her head and her nails dug deeper in her skin, "You know what terrifies more than you knowing what scares me?" she inhale and looked up, "Is that even with a four years separation, you know me better than anyone else. You were the only one that actually made me feel alive since Ian's death, I couldn't even say his name, but then you came around. You came around when it was made clear that I pushed you away, why did you come back?"

"I wasn't going to break my promise with Ian, to protect you even though you pushed me out," Jack's voice had dropped once again into the genuine tone she hadn't heard in forever, "Even though I still feared that getting close to you again might end up in you pushing me out again, I still had to fulfill my promise to myself and to Ian. To keep yourself from losing yourself."

"Feared?" Kim asked incredulously, the distance between them had disappeared and his warmth spread over her. His scent overwhelming her senses, he was right. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

"I wasn't going to let you without a fight, I let that happen once and I'm not letting that happen again," his eyes were determined and it wasn't releasing its hold on hers, her throat tightened and she made a move to look down before his fingers grasped her chin and pulled her eyes back up, "I wasn't joking when I told you outside in the library that losing you was one of the worse things that happened to me."

"It didn't seem like it. You were perfectly fine for the last four years." She pointed out softly and he detected the hurt in her voice and he sighed loudly.

"You're not the only one who's good at keeping their emotions under wrap" he stated lifting an eyebrow. Her cheeks turned crimson at his words, "Look Kim. If you want me to go then I'll go, I won't push you anymore longer. But if you ask for me to stay, then I will and I promise I won't go anymore without you. All I want is for you to be happy, even if it includes leaving you."

Kim remained silent, her breathing light as she focused on his and the distance between them. This was it, it was her decision to risk everything and anything between them. She looked at his hand and hesitantly took it, focusing on the warmth it brought her. She breathed out evenly, her cheeks burning as her fingers interlaced with his trying to figure out if this was what she wanted.

She laughed slightly, her eyes suddenly clouded with tears. She bit down on her lower lip, noting their hands perfectly fit with each others. Then she placed her her free hand over their interlaced hands.

"Jack," she began, "You don't know how badly I want to say that I want you to stay. But what if something came along and tore us apart again? I thought that after Ian's death, I would still be around you, that our bond would help us recover from Ian's death but it didn't. It just tore us apart. I can't take the chance of thinking and hoping you'd stick around when something like that would happen again, I can't rely on someone, I-i-"

Jack took the opportunity to place his hand on top of theirs and drew her closer to him. "You don't need to explain it. I get it." Was all he said before he removed his hands from hers. Her hands remained hovering in the air, her jaw slacked at his words. He turned his back, his hands raising and running his fingers through his hair before he shoved them in his pockets.

That was it. He didn't try to fight back. She shook her head, her body whimpering as his warmth disappeared. She took a step forward then stopped. Watching his form slowly growing smaller.

What was she doing? Was this what she really wanted? Her hands dropped, limped to the sides as her mind finally struck with realization.

He was the only one that made her feel alive, to feel anything. To feel a smile form on her face. To feel her heart pounding against her chest. To undergo confusion. Without her knowing, he had managed to bring her out from the darkness, he brought out the old her. But then she noticed and she shriveled back inside her shell until he lured her out. All he wanted for her was to be happy, and he was leaving for her sake. But she didn't feel a single trace of satisfaction or happiness inside of her, just an empty void.

Damnit, she needed him. She needed to fight. Despite all odds, this was what he was trying to say, to fight.

Her eyes snapped back to his form and her feet snapped into action. The soles of her worn out sneakers pounded against the ground, crushing the gravel under her weight. Her arms pumped at her sides and pushing at the ground whenever her feet tripped over one another. Her eyes were shining with desperation, and her hood flew back. Strands of her golden waves were set free.

"Jack!" she cried out once he was near enough. Swiftly, his form turned around, his eyes widening when he spotted her losing her footing and crashing harshly against the ground. Her arms were out in front of her and she winced when she felt her skin peel from the jagged edges of the ground. He was by her side the moment she came in contact with the ground.

"Are you alright, Kim?" he said. Surprisingly she let out a musical laugh and looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

"Never been better." She reassured him, although he could spot beads of blood on her palm. A lopsided smile grew on his face before he shook his head and laughed with her. Then her eyes grew stern but she still looked at him adoringly, "Don't leave." She pleaded in a small voice.

He stared at her, his eyes searching her face before he grasped her chin and pulled her lips to his. She contained a gasp, then slowly she melted into his kiss and trailed her hand from his jaw to tangling her fingers with his hair. His hands were cupped around her face lovingly. She took in how soft his lips were against hers, the sweetness of his lips kept her grasping for more. She swiped her tongue across his lower lip, asking for access which he granted. They battled for dominance, her hands moving from his hair back down to his chest where his hands grasped hers as he bit down on her lower lip before pulling away.

All he said was, "You're beautiful." Her eyes light up, remembering their discussion in the library.

* * *

_The inspiration for "She Will Be Loved", easy, my sister Kim. I've always told her that I've written this song, and I couldn't help but regret saying that because it didn't at all make sense. As her brother, I know she will be loved. _

I don't mind spending every day  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved

Tap on my window, knock on my door  
I want to make you feel beautiful  
I know I tend to get so insecure  
It doesn't matter anymore

_She doesn't know it but I do. Jack lend me this information for safe-keeping, which I didn't get since I'm her brother. But Kim was always Jack's inspiration to keep on fulfilling things that he knows he can't. He's always told her he had an inspiration, she just didn't know who. Naive little sister..._

It's not always rainbows and butterflies  
It's compromise that moves us along, yeah  
My heart is full and my door's always open  
You come anytime you want, yeah.

I don't mind spending every day  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved

_Anyway, I'm going to be completely honest with you. Jack wrote this song, will Kim's happiness at heart. Whether she's down, depressed or broken in the near future, he'd somehow be there. _

I know where you hide alone in your car  
Know all of the things that make you who you are  
I know that goodbye means nothing at all  
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls

Yeah

Tap on my window knock on my door  
I want to make you feel beautiful

I don't mind spending every day  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain, oh.  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved

_[in the background:]_  
Please don't try so hard to say goodbye  
Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

Yeah, yeah.

_You know what he confided with me? He's always loved her. Not something you tell to a brother. I guess what I made out from this song is, Kim will always be loved, by who? Jack. And I know for damn sure that those two will somehow, and disgustingly end up together. I hope I'm not there when that happens. Treat her well bro, I didn't just mess with the audio just for fun, don't worry, it's only this burned CD copy of this song that I messed with. _

_[softly:]_  
I don't mind spending every day  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

_To: Kimmy. From: Ian. _

* * *

**A/N: **Okay so the ending may be super bad. But I just didn't know how to end it. I hope you guys enjoyed it and hope you understood the message of this story and well the story itself. I know this one-shot was super long and I'm sorry, I'm very detail oriented which is a very bad thing because looking at the number of words I've written, just creeps me out. Anyway, if you didn't get what Jack meant by she's beautiful then read the library discussion, he told her when he tells a girl she's beautiful, he found the right one.

So basically this is a complicated series of flashbacks that shows what happened to Kim and Jack. And how I guess everything fitted together. I didn't think this plot through, I just made it up as I went along. Which is why I didn't insert, Jack and Kim knowing each other at first. It's complicated to explain and all. So if you guys have any questions, please ask, I'm happy to reply through private messaging.

What did you think of Ian's message? It kinda explained some parts of the past from Jack's point of view, I guess. But mostly, I wanted to let you guys know that Kim finally had a closure with Ian's death, and she listened to the CD that Ian's gave her. I'm sorry if that's all a jumble. I'm kind of a not organized author when it comes to stories.


End file.
